Our Story

Since our founding as NextGen Climate in 2013, we’ve worked to fight climate change by advancing the transition to a clean energy economy. We’ve supported candidates who support climate action. We’ve fought to halt the Keystone XL pipeline and registered more than a million voters nationwide.

Now, the same values that drive our work on climate are under unprecedented attack from all directions. We’re proud to step up the fight for immigrant rights, affordable health care, prosperity, and equality.

Americans value freedom — and real freedom requires an economy that works for everyone. →

Tom Steyer,

Founder & President, NextGen America

Tom Steyer is a business leader and philanthropist who believes we have a moral responsibility to give back and help ensure that every family shares the benefits of economic opportunity, education, and a healthy climate.

In 2010, Tom Steyer and his wife, Kat Taylor, pledged to contribute most of their wealth to charitable causes during their lifetimes. That same year, Tom worked to defeat Proposition 23, an attempt by the oil industry to roll back California’s historic plan to reduce pollution and address climate change.

In 2012, Tom led a campaign to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in California schools annually by closing a corporate tax loophole. To date, Proposition 39 has put nearly a billion dollars into California schools and clean energy projects, saving millions of dollars in annual energy costs.

Tom founded a successful California business, which he left to work full-time on nonprofit and advocacy efforts. He served as President of NextGen Climate, an organization he founded in 2013 to prevent climate disaster and promote prosperity for all Americans. In 2017 NextGen Climate expanded their progressive fight to include immigration, health care, prosperity, and equality — as NextGen America.

Tom’s dedication to public service is greatly inspired by his wife, Kat, the co-CEO of Beneficial State Bank in Oakland. They founded this nonprofit community bank in 2007 to provide loans to people and small businesses shut out by the traditional banking system. Unlike most banks, by statute Beneficial State Bank invests any profits back into the community.